Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 July 1920 — WOOD IS AGAINST LEGALIZING [ARTICLE]

WOOD IS AGAINST LEGALIZING

Horizontal Increases Made by State Tax Board. The lower house of the state legislature voted Friday to “legalize” the illegal horizontal increases of assessments made in 1919 by the state board of tax commissioners. The vote was 63 to 30, the 30 voting against the “joke” standing 16 Republicans and 14 Democrats. Representative Wood of this district was among the Republicans voting against the bill, we are glad to see, as it gets nowhere and only complicates a situation that will be the harder to untangle the longer it goes on, able attorneys say. This bill—which has the backing of Gov. Goodrich and the Republican machine, Including W. T. McCray et al —simply postpones straightening out a terribly complicated mess until the supreme court hands down another decision in the matter on appeals taken by outraged taxpayers, which are as certain to be done as the sun is certain to rise, and Mr. Wood declined to be a party to this temporary political expediency measure, to stave off final disposition until the regular session of the legislature, for which he is to be commended. Logan is also opposed to the appropriation of 310,060,000 for a world war memorial building in Indianapolis, as the bill is drafted, and The Democrat is in receipt of the following letter from his regarding this measure:

Indianapolis, July 18,* 1920. Mr. F. E. Babcock, Jasper County Democrat. x My dear sir: Owing to the fact that I am one of the conference committee appointed to confer with the senate committee to try to agree on the memorial bill, I want my constituents to know what the present bill contains. It provides that $lO,000,000 be appropriated. It further provides that 11 trustees be appointed by the governor with authority to condemn all and buildings within. 300 feet of the proposed grounds. It gives these trustees power to use .or rent this proposed memorial building for whatever purpose they may elect. I want the public to know that there is located on this proposed ground a school for the blind, a splendid building that could not be replaced for $2,000,000, and other costly buildings that belong to the state. Why. should we make this change when the state has a spleni did location for the memorial just north of the state house, on Capital avenue? I am for everything that will per-

petuate the memory of the American soldier and the cause for which he fought, but I want to do him a favor instead of assisting men who are • not soldiers to mlake a fortune at the expense’ of the soldier and call it “patriotism.” This proposed bill will raise the value of individual land lying in the block that is described in the bill. Why not use the state lands when they are better located and vacant? Respectfully, W. L. WOOD.